Hold back some of your Katrina money

It's wonderful so many are contributing generously to The Red Cross, Salvation Army and other organizations involved in Katrina relief activities.

But I hope people hold back some of their Katrina money for at least a few weeks or months. That way, they can target their "held back" money as they learn more about who needs what and what various organizations have done and are doing.

Those Louisiana NG members serving in Iraq who may have lost a loved one and maybe everything material they had at home: I want to find out how to target some money to them.

MSM has mostly told us about the chaos and looters and Bush-blaming pontifications of Jesse Jackson and others. But you know that during the worst hours in the worst places there were people acting heroically to make things better. Ministers, for example, who with their congregants and others organized to feed neighbors and homeless, and care as best they could for the sick.

MSM will get around to telling us about those heroes. Some of my money will go to the churches and other organizations those people are associated with.

In the next few weeks, we'll hear of hundreds of organizations who are helping Katrina victims in various ways. I'm keeping my ear out for ones that seek to empower the victims and build on their strengths.

Where are the organizations that believe the best therapy for most victims is the dignity and sense of hope that comes with a job; and so will be offering people a chance to work on a day basis in the clean up effort until more permanent jobs are available. I'll support those organizations.

Thank God we have the government, The Red Cross, Salvation Army and other organizations. Only they can do the massive resource allocation and service delivery work.

But thank God too for those small groups and organizations, often staffed by volunteers, and close to the people they serve. They provide effective, diverse and sometimes unique services the large services organizations don't.

Hold back some money for them. I think you'll be glad you did.

And look to bloggers to take the lead in telling you about them.